Delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia visits Ukraine

With the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine and in compliance with the decisions of the Commissions on Discussions between the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate, heads of both Commissions Archbishop Innokenty of Korsun and Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany and its members Archpriest Nikolai Artemov and Archpriest Nikolay Balashov visited Ukraine on October 18-21, 2005. The main goal was to inform the hierarchs of the self-governing Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the negotiation process between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Abroad and exchange opinions on its further development.

The delegation visited Kiev and Odessa and met with the members of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church: Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail and Archbishop Mitrofan of Pereslav-Khmelnitsky, Administrator of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. They also met with Bishop Agafangel (Pashkovsky; ROCOR).

Among the discussed topics were the possible ways of regulating the problem connected with the parishes of the Russian Church Abroad on the canonical territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The parties also talked about Orthodoxy in Ukraine. Members of the delegation had an opportunity to get acquainted with various aspects of life of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. They noted successful development of monasticism in Ukraine. The guests learned about the concerns of clergy, monks and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church caused by the expansion of the Greek Catholicism, destructive activities of schismatic church groups and attempts of non-canonical interference in the church life.

The members of the delegation prayed in the holy places of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church: the Laura of the Caves in Kiev, the Monastery of the Protecting Veil and the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Kiev, the Monastery of the Assumption and the Monastery of St. Panteleimon, the Cathedral of the Transfiguration and other churches in Odessa. The delegation also visited the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kiev and the Theological Seminary in Odessa.

Father Superior of the Odessa Monastery of the Assumption Archimandrite Alexey (Grokha) and Rector of the Odessa Theological Seminary Archimandrite Evlogy (Gutchenko) also participated in the discussions. Archimandrite Ioasaf (Guben), lecturer of the Kiev Theological Academy, accompanied the delegation in Kiev.

Thanks to the hospitality of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the talks were held in the atmosphere of mutual understanding and fraternal love. The results of the trip contributed to the further development of the dialogue between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

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